HubSpot CRM vs Mailchimp
pricing comparison · 2026 · Updated April 2026
HubSpot CRM pricing ranges from $0–$150/user/month, while Mailchimp ranges from $0–$350/month. Mailchimp is typically 67% more affordable, though your actual cost depends on tier and team size.
Sources & confidence
Every dollar amount and contract clause below traces back to a sourced fact. We don't manufacture composite scores.
Plans at a glance
Every tier per product. Lock one to drive the cost row above and reveal a tier-specific outbound CTA.
Contract terms
The fine print, surfaced. Green = buyer-friendly. Each clause backed by a quoted source.
What users say
Aggregated, with sample sizes. We use whichever review platform has data.
HubSpot and Mailchimp are frequently compared because they overlap at the intersection of CRM and email marketing, but they solve different core problems. Mailchimp is primarily an email marketing platform that has added basic CRM and landing page features. HubSpot started as inbound CRM and has grown into a full marketing, sales, and service platform where email is one of many channels.
For teams primarily sending email campaigns to an audience, Mailchimp free tier (up to 500 contacts) and $13/month Essentials plan are hard to beat. For B2B teams needing contact management, deal pipelines, and multi-channel marketing automation, HubSpot free CRM and Starter tier ($20/user/month) are more appropriate starting points.
Plan-by-Plan Pricing
| Plan | HubSpot CRM | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free /user/month | Free /month |
| Starter | $20 /seat/month | $13 /month |
| Professional | $100 /seat/month | $20 /month |
| Enterprise | $150 /seat/month | $350 /month |
Cost at Scale
Total cost of ownership — licenses, implementation, and hidden costs included.
HubSpot CRM
6 scenariosMailchimp
6 scenariosMarket Intelligence
HubSpot CRM
- Median annual cost
- $26,275
- Average negotiated discount
- 18%
- Based on
- 804 deals
Mailchimp
- Median annual cost
- $500
- Based on
- 410 deals
Contract Terms
| Term | HubSpot CRM | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-renewal | Yes | Yes |
| Cancellation | Must provide notice before annual renewal; difficult to cancel mid-contract | Cancel anytime; no refunds for unused portion of billing period |
| Minimum commitment | 1 year | None; month-to-month by default |
| Price escalation | — | 15-30% of license costs |
| Can downgrade | No | — |
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Our Verdict
HubSpot is the better choice for B2B teams that need a CRM and marketing platform in one — especially those with a sales cycle, deal pipeline, or multi-channel outreach. Its free CRM is legitimately useful, and the Starter tier provides more integrated functionality than Mailchimp at a comparable price for small teams.
Mailchimp wins for pure email marketing, especially for e-commerce brands, content creators, and nonprofits sending campaigns to large, contact-based audiences. Its email-specific features and simpler pricing structure are more cost-effective when CRM capabilities are not needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
01 Is HubSpot or Mailchimp better for email marketing?
For pure email marketing, Mailchimp is generally better — it was built specifically for email campaigns with stronger templates, A/B testing, and e-commerce integrations. HubSpot email marketing is solid but secondary to its CRM capabilities.
02 Can HubSpot replace Mailchimp?
Yes, for most use cases. HubSpot Starter ($20/user/month) includes email marketing, landing pages, and automation that covers most Mailchimp workflows. The main reasons to keep Mailchimp are its superior e-commerce integrations and lower cost for large contact lists.
03 Is HubSpot free or Mailchimp free better?
For CRM features, HubSpot Free is vastly better — unlimited contacts, deal pipelines, and contact activity tracking. For email marketing, Mailchimp Free allows up to 500 contacts and 1,000 sends/month. Most teams with a sales process prefer HubSpot free tier.
04 How does HubSpot vs Mailchimp pricing scale?
HubSpot uses per-user pricing (Starter: $20/user/month), which scales with team size. Mailchimp uses contact-based pricing, which scales with audience size. HubSpot becomes more cost-effective for large teams with small contact lists; Mailchimp is cheaper for small teams with large audiences.